PLYMOUTH - A 23-year-old Plymouth man faces charges in the shooting death of a 44-year-old Plymouth man he called "dad," and drugs may have played a role, according to investigators.

Martin Green, originally of Philadelphia, was charged with one count of criminal homicide Sunday for the death of David J. Gerson, originally of New York, and was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Donald Whittaker.

"Meaning murder?" Green asked after the judge read the charge.

Green is the 19th person in Luzerne County charged with homicide this year.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 8 at 10 a.m. at Whittaker's Nanticoke office. Green was remanded to the Luzerne County Correctional Facility without bail.

According to the affidavit, a 911 operator received a phone call at 1:09 a.m. from a man named Martin who claimed he shot and killed his father at 15½ E. Shawnee Ave.

When police arrived at the home they saw Gerson's Lincoln Towncar parked in the alleyway next to the home. Upon entering the apartment in the rear of the two-unit building, they discovered Gerson laying on his back with his arms outstretched, just inside the doorway. Blood was on his abdomen and hands. Three bullet casings lay next to Gerson, and there was a bullet hole in the wall.

Police found Green in the kitchen, with another bullet casing nearby, and took him into custody.

Luzerne County Coroner John Corcoran and Deputy Coroner William Lisman pronounced Gerson dead at the scene. An autopsy is scheduled for today, Corcoran said.

Green moved to the area within the last year and a half, investigators said, and moved into the Plymouth residence within the last month.

Police interviewed Green for an extended period Sunday. When investigators entered the room where Green was being held, Green said, "I can't give you the .45 that I shot Dave with because I threw it from the car." He gave police information about several guns and their locations, including if they went to Gerson's home at 111 Center Ave., Plymouth, they'd find a .357 Long under the carpet in a middle room.

Green continued to tell investigators he shot "Dave," saying he had shot Gerson multiple times until he went down.

After the shooting, Green, Sabrina Raison and a baby got into the Lincoln and drove down a back road, where Green got out of the car and put the gun into a wheel well, on top of the tire, of a vehicle. At about noon Sunday, Patrick Wilk reported to police he found a handgun in front of 887 Charles St., Luzerne, while walking his dog.

Police discovered the Glock .45 had been reported stolen and entered into a national database by Harveys Lake police in August.

When shown the weapon, Green said it was the gun he used to shoot Gerson. Police plan to do ballistics testing to confirm whether the gun is the murder weapon.

Raison, who Musto Carroll said is "romantically linked" to Green, told investigators that Gerson came over to 15½ E. Shawnee Ave. late Saturday night. Raison, a baby and Green were watching TV together when Green got up to meet Gerson.

Then she heard multiple gunshots and went downstairs to find Gerson laying on the floor and Green waving a gun around, yelling "come on, come on." Green pushed her into the Lincoln and they drove off.

Investigators confirmed Raison is cooperating as a witness.

Neighbor Carl Elder told investigators that on Saturday, before 10 p.m., he came home to see the Lincoln idling in the alleyway between his home and Green's, according to the affidavit. He beeped his horn and a man with braids came to the door of the home and gave a signal indicating one moment.

At this time, Elder's dog ran away from the home, causing Elder to notice a man with a receding hairline and long hair in the back walking a dog across the street. The two men spoke briefly, and then the man entered Green's apartment, Elder said.

After returning from a short trip to the store, Elder said he saw the Lincoln pull out of the alleyway and head west on Shawnee Avenue.

Michael Shoemaker, who lives in the front half of 15 E. Shawnee Ave., said he and his girlfriend arrived home between 8 and 9 p.m. and also saw the Lincoln, which was not running, in the alleyway, according to the affidavit. At about 10:30 p.m., Shoemaker heard yelling from Green's apartment. He said one of the voices belonged to Raison. After the yelling stopped, Shoemaker said, he heard a door on the Lincoln slam and saw the car leave the scene.

Brian Mundy lives several doors down from Green's home. Despite being home Saturday night, Mundy said he did not hear any shots and didn't know what was happening until police arrived at the scene.

"It's not the neighborhood I knew years ago," said Mundy, who has lived on East Shawnee Avenue for five decades.

Rahfeequah Sajadullah lives next door to 15 E. Shawnee Ave. and said she also heard no gunshots. She had seen Green and Gerson together on several occasions and believed the two were friends.

"It's just real unfortunate because both of them seemed so nice," Sajadullah said.

emoody@citizensvoice.com 570-821-2051

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12 posted comments

The fact that it is easy for these people to move here and continue their drug business is because we are a small valley with small towns in which we only have a few police to cover an ever growing area. Dont catagorize plymouth as a scum town just because you dont like the town, its everywhere in this valley. Without enough police coverage, it will keep getting bad. So as a citizen instead of bad mouthing the area, bad mouth the voted for politicians who lay off police, instead of hiring, and help those police by reporting things you see that just dosent "seem right".

plymouth.. is a pos.. anymore.... listen up pple there are gangs and SHOOTINGS ..ahem( Old Tymers) and stabbings all the time..... PLymouth is the new slums of this county.. sry to the good pple that live there , but its true....thanks

Ah, Luzerne County District Attorney Jacqueline Musto Carroll, back in the lime light again...ain’t if grand??? In her last appearance she put on her best Sergeant Shultz imitation. This time around she is a font of information, (pulled together by the police), but, never the less she spouts out the tid-bits. You Go Girl!!!

I hope that the captions are correct to the timing they were taken. Because it is nice to see that reality has set in for this punk, smiling going in and blank stare coming out. Your life is over playa!!!!